Indicators of Sustainability

How do we know if we are moving toward a sustainable relationship with the earth? What tells us how we are doing? Many people are working on defining indicators so that we can judge where we are in our efforts to create a sustainable culture. Without a way to measure where we are, set measurable goals, and then measure our progress, it is difficult to know if progress is taking place. Indicators help answer this question and defining them sparks debate and increases awareness and understanding.

With our current knowledge of the impact of the human species on the planet we can use a simple concept as an immediate indicator of whether we are moving in the direction of sustainability: is the population of the cultural unit (city, metropolitan area, state, country) growing? Until the answer is "no", this is the only indicator we need. This indicator is enough because we are exceeding the consumption level that allows most other species to flourish. We are out of balance with the natural world and on a course to eliminate all species that do not benefit humankind. Adding more people only exacerbates the problem.

Of course, the addition of an indigenous and primitive tribesman in the Amazon will have a far different impact than adding an American or Canadian or German - anyone in an industrial country. The latter has a far greater impact on the level of consumption and the area of the earth that is affected. Indigenous people also have trouble managing their population relative to the carrying capacity of their environment and they are increasingly affected by the global economy. So, this indicator works for them also.

Apply this simple indicator where you live: is your population growing? If the answer is "yes" then little real progress is being made toward sustainability.